Recipe Monday

Eggplant Parm
So I found out that at the Macaroni Grill Eggplant Parmesan has 1,200 calories per serving, no sides. Yowzers!! Who would have guessed eating vegetables was so unhealthy. Well they are dipped in butter, bread and junk. Well anyways, this is skinnier recipe with only 170 calories for a whopping 1/4 of the recipe and a huge 13 grams of fiber! You gotta love that..plus lycopene, vitamin A, calcium. Plus it is totally yummy. Even Preston loved it..he couldn't even tell a difference.

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 large egg whites)
1 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original); ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency in the blender
1 cup canned tomato sauce w/ Italian flavoring (I love Shar's Prego Tomato Basil)
1 cup shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup reduced-fat grated parmesan-style topping
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Optional: dried Italian seasonings (basil, oregano, etc.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice ends off of eggplant, and cut it lengthwise into 1/2-inch strips. Use a paper towel to blot eggplant slices on both sides (to remove excess moisture). Spray a large baking pan with nonstick spray. Season crumbs with garlic powder, salt, pepper and, if you like, additional seasonings. Coat eggplant slices on both sides -- first with egg whites, and then with Fiber One crumbs. Place slices flat on the baking pan, and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Then, flip slices over and bake until browned on both sides (about 10 minutes longer). Remove pan from oven, but leave oven on. Spread 1/4 cup of sauce over the bottom of an 8" X 8" baking dish sprayed lightly with nonstick spray. Arrange half of the baked eggplant slices evenly over the sauce. Continue to layer ingredients evenly in this order: sauce (1/4 cup), mozzarella and parm topping (half of each), sauce (1/4 cup), eggplant (remaining slices), sauce (1/4 cup), and cheeses (remaining amounts). Cover dish with foil and return to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until heated throughout. Allow to cool slightly, and then cut into quarters. Enjoy! MAKES 4 SERVINGS